Intern Talk: The Sports Industry
Sports are a cultural experience that many hold close because of human connection, community excitement and powerful emotions. With a variation of activities occurring year-round, it’s hard to not get wrapped up in the spirit and want to be involved yourself. While you can be a part of this phenomenon on a personal level, it can also be a professional career path. In this second article of the Intern Talk series, three PRSSA members share advice and insights from their recent internships in the sports industry.
Introductions
Role(s): Strategic communications intern at Penn State Athletics.
Education: Rising junior at Penn State University with a public relations major, sports studies and recreation, parks, and tourism management minors and sports journalism and diversity studies certificates.
PRSSA Background: Chapter development chairman, THON family relations chair.
About her role at Penn State Athletics:
“As a strategic communications intern for Penn State Athletics, I assist with communications efforts for our NCAA sports. My assigned sport was softball, but I’ve worked with football, men’s and women’s hockey, basketball, and more. During my weekly office hours, I work on a variety of tasks such as creating press materials in InDesign, brainstorming content for social media and writing articles and game notes. I discovered this opportunity at our annual job fair hosted by the Bellisario College of Communications.
I love working in the sports industry because every day is different but still exciting. I have always been a fan of sports or participated in sports growing up and it is something I truly love. I’ve had such great experiences attending sporting events throughout my life, and seeing fans be so enthralled during the event makes me so happy to be able to help create that joy.”
Role(s): Social media intern for the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium.
Education: Rising senior at North Dakota State University majoring in communication and media studies.
PRSSA Background: Chapter president, secretary.
About her role for the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium:
“As a social media intern for the Miami Dolphins, my responsibilities include creating and curating engaging content for various social media platforms. I also assist in developing social media strategies, monitoring and analyzing engagement metrics and interacting with the online community through comments, messages and replies. Additionally, I collaborate with other team members to brainstorm ideas for content and promotions to increase brand awareness and fan engagement. I discovered this position through an employer who posted on TikTok!
For me, working in the sports industry is exciting and fulfilling because it allows me to combine my passion for sports and my professional skills. It offers opportunities to be part of a dynamic and fast–paced environment, interact with athletes and fans and contribute to the overall excitement and joy that sports bring to people’s lives.”
Role(s): Marketing and public relations intern at NubAbility.
Education: Rising senior at Southern Illinois State University of Carbondale majoring in communications with a concentration in public relations and a women, gender, and sexuality studies minor.
PRSSA Background: Chapter president, secretary, project manager of Kindness Project Campaign.
About her role at NubAbility:
“I’m the marketing and PR intern at NubAbility Athletics Foundation. I discovered this position on Handshake, a site for students to find jobs and internships. It’s my responsibility to create and distribute press releases, expand and update the organization’s media lists, develop outreach plans to promote NubAbility’s sport camps to children’s hospitals, prosthetists and other medical providers, and to pitch stories to publications.”
PRSSA Skills in Action
All three members shared that their PRSSA experience was immensely helpful toward their confidence and performance in their new roles.
Kendra describes that her experience holding multiple leadership experiences within PRSSA helped her easily acclimate to her new role. “Since I’ve served as secretary, project manager and president, I was able to transition into my position seamlessly and without much training. Knowing how to create press releases, pitch stories, develop outreach strategies and maintain media relations have all been skills I use and practice in my studies and within my Chapter,” she said.
Alli shares that her involvement in PRSSA allowed her to become immersed in public relations at a quicker rate than her classes were teaching her. “As a freshman, you don’t get to take many PR courses. Being in PRSSA and being able to learn the language and skills so early on in my education put me at an advantage and prepared me for the road ahead. It also allowed me to meet other members who are in my current internship program,” she said.
Learning Career Perspectives
The true purpose of internships is to provide experience that should help with future career plans. Thankfully, all three of these students had positive experiences in their roles. They all agreed that what they learned reinforced their passion for public relations and communications.
Kendra, who is doing an internship at NubAbility Athletic Foundation, an organization that hosts nationwide, limb different sports camps for youth athletes around the world, shares:
“Seeing the bond and mentorship that happens between these kids with limb differences and their coaches that have similar physical differences is so amazing. All the work I have done for this internship has shown me that I want to continue to work towards a career in public relations or communications.”
On The Field?
Sports events are some of the most popular pastimes, occurring year–round and worldwide. Does this necessitate an entire in person experience, or is there more flexibility within this workplace as remote work is on the rise?
While working with large–scale sports teams like the Miami Dolphins and Penn State Athletics, Savannah and Alli agree that the majority of these roles operate best in person based on the hands–on and event–focused nature of the work. Savannah concludes that “There may still be remote internship opportunities available in certain areas such as social media management, content creation, data analysis and digital marketing. It’s essential to research and explore different organizations and their internship programs to find the best fit for your goals and preferences.”
Kendra echoes the other side of a comparable statement. She recalls a fellow intern, focused in business, that worked remotely four out of five days a week and was extremely successful with various efforts to provide support to the foundation, including its merchandise shop. The consensus of the group was that, depending on the job area, organizations may offer opportunities to work remotely.
Advice for PRSSA Members
As accomplished students both within PRSSA and in their early career experiences, I asked Savannah, Kendra and Alli if they had any advice for members who may want to follow in their footsteps. They each had valuable insights to share about the lessons they’ve learned from their own experiences, especially in the sphere of relationship–building and confidence.
Alli
“The best piece of advice I learned from my internship was how to work under pressure. When you are in a press box, you are amongst journalists, NFL scouts, PR professionals and many more high–profile people,. sometimes it can be scary. It is best to use that fear as motivation to put your best foot forward and show them that you can do great things.”
Savannah
“One valuable lesson in PR is the importance of effective communication and building relationships. Whether it’s in a role like a social media intern or a PRSSA member, developing strong communication skills, both written and verbal, is crucial. Building relationships with colleagues, clients and stakeholders is equally important because it fosters trust and collaboration. Additionally, being adaptable and open to learning from diverse experiences will help you grow both personally and professionally in the field of public relations.”
Kendra
“The best lesson I have learned from this camp is that no matter what you look like, or who you are, you can achieve anything with the right mindset and confidence.”
Thank you to the participants in this article for sharing their expertise and experience. It is amazing to see what our fellow PRSSA members have accomplished with a little help from PRSSA and a lot of motivation. I look forward to seeing what they continue to achieve.
If you are interested in the sports industry or were inspired by this article today, feel free to connect with the participants on Linkedin. Your network truly is one of your greatest assets. Remember to join PRSSA’s LinkedIn group cliand check out the Champions for PRSSA webpage to connect with more students, professionals and possible mentors.
The PRSSA Internship Center showcases many internships in the sports industry and beyond, including some listed exclusively for PRSSA students. Be sure to take advantage of this platform as many internships are now open for applications.
If you’d like to be featured in a future article, make sure to follow VP of Career Services Melina O’Neal on LinkedIn to be notified when she is looking for PRSSA members to interview about their experience in various industries. Thank you for reading.
Melina O’Neal currently serves as the vice president of career services for PRSSA National. She is a fourth-year student at West Chester University of Pennsylvania pursuing her master’s degree in communication studies after graduating in 2023 with her bachelor’s degree in media & culture. Previously, she has served as a District Ambassador and National Publications Committee member for PRSSA National alongside her responsibilities as vice president and treasurer for her collegiate Chapter. You can connect with Melina via LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter.
